Unconditional: A Film Addressing Equal Rights for All Families

posted by Kate Fellman | 1741sc
July 17, 2013

Join People’s Alliance for a documentary, discussion, and fundraiser. "Unconditional" features Sara Terry (current PA Co-President) and Julie Edmunds and their struggle to secure legal rights to their children. The film was shot during the 2012 campaign.

Followed by a panel discussion with the filmmakers, Kelly McKenna, Hanna Teachey and Rhonda Chan Soo, Sara Terry & Julie Edmunds, and Chris Brook, Legal Director of the NC ACLU. Chris Brook will discuss the latest developments in Fisher Borne v. Smith, the ACLU’s ongoing legal challenge to North Carolina’s ban on second parent adoptions and marriage for same sex couples, brought on behalf of six same-sex couples from across the state and their children.

Tuesday, August 6th at 6:30 p.m.

Motorco Music Hall, 723 Rigsbee Ave.

NO TICKETS REQUIRED! Money raised online and AT THE DOOR (you can register and wait to donate at the event) will support technical work such as sound and color correction, as well as entrance fees and expenses associated with film festival entry. If enough money is raised, the film makers plan to develop an education kit to accompany film showings.

Suggested Donation: $10 (more if you can, less if you can't!)

Presently, in North Carolina, families are being denied equal rights.

In 2012, a CNN poll showed that 60% of persons questioned reported having a family member or close friend who identified with being gay or lesbian. Attitudes towards homosexuality are changing. Yet, despite changing attitudes, state laws have failed to follow suit.

The documentary film, Unconditional, aims to raise awareness of the ways that current North Carolina laws harm the children and parents in same-sex families. While there are many films being made on gay rights, Unconditional is unique for several reasons.

First, the film focuses on a smaller issue within the larger issue of gay rights. We are focusing on parental rights, specifically the state’s second-parent adoption statute. A second-parent adoption in North Carolina would allow the non-biological parent to obtain legal ties to their children without the biological parent giving up his or her legal rights.

Second, we have unique access to key figures in the North Carolina movement to secure rights for same-sex parents. Our film’s characters, Sara and Julie, were the first couple in North Carolina to obtain a second-parent adoption in 2004. The film will show what they went through to get the adoption and will follow what they are doing to secure legal ties to their children after the North Carolina Supreme Court overturned second-parent adoptions in 2010.

The story of our other character in the film, “Catherine”, illustrates a very real, and worst-case scenario for same-sex parents. When Catherine’s partner moved out, she took their kids with her. ”Catherine” had no rights to see her children because she was not considered a legal parent. We will learn of her struggle to see her kids again.

Journey with us to learn more about the issues surrounding parental rights, to see how these families struggle with a lack of legal protection. See them rise up and fight to acquire these protections.